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As the World Cup stokes increasing excitement, let's take a closer look at the free expression and human rights issues simmering beneath the glitzy headlines.

The USA rightfully celebrated a gutsy win against a skillful Ghana team this week, but the country still gets a red card for free expression based on the NSA's ongoing bulk surveillance. And Cameroon, which in previous World Cups has captured the hearts of soccer fans around the world, has found its on-field performance paralleled by its abysmal treatment of journalists and writer Enoh Meyomesse, who remains in prison after repeated postponements to his trial.

Meanwhile, there is growing recognition that diversity is important for World Cup teams to succeed. The Fusion network documented the importance of immigrants to the U.S. national team, and Global Post looks at immigrants in international clubs.

And for readers out there, check out Three Percent's World Cup of Literature, where they pit books by authors from all 32 countries against one another in a rough-and-tumble contest with plenty of dives and bold calls by the referees.